Steroid Injections for Spine Treatment

A lumbar epidural steroid injection (lumbar ESI) is an injection of anti-inflammatory medicine — a steroid or corticosteroid — into the epidural space around the spinal nerves in your low back. The main goal of lumbar epidural steroid injections is to manage chronic pain caused by irritation and inflammation of the spinal nerve roots in your low back (the lumbar region of your spine) due to certain conditions or injuries. This type of chronic pain is called lumbar radiculopathy (radicular pain), which can radiate down from your low back to your hips, legs and/or feet.

Lumbar radicular pain can cause the following symptoms

• Pain
• Numbness
• Muscle weakness
• Tingling

Many conditions can irritate your spinal nerve roots in your low back:

• Lumbar herniated disk: This condition is also commonly called a slipped, ruptured or bulging disk. Disks have soft, gel-like centers and a firmer outer layer. Over time or with an injury, the outer layer weakens and can crack. A lumbar herniated disk happens when the inner substance pushes through a crack in one of the disks between two vertebrae in your low back. The leaked material may press on, irritate and/or pinch nearby spinal nerves.
• Lumbar degenerative disk disease: This condition happens when the cushioning in between the vertebrae in your low back begins to wear away. A degenerated disk could cause local inflammation in your spinal nerve roots.
• Lumbar spinal stenosis: This condition is the narrowing of one or more spaces within your lumbar spine. Less space within your spine reduces the amount of space available for your spinal nerve roots. A tightened space can cause the nerves to become irritated or pinched, which can lead to low back pain, especially with repeated activity like walking.
• Lumbar osteoarthritis (lumbar spondylosis): This condition involves changes to the bones, disks and joints in your low back caused by the normal wear-and-tear of aging. Lumbar osteoarthritis can lead to narrowing of the interior of your spinal column in your low back or in the openings where spinal nerves exit, which can cause inflammation and irritation to the nerves.